Problem Solving for Goals

In January I talked about goal setting. Now that we’re in February and you’ve had time to sit with your goals, work with them, hit a snag or two (or ten), maybe you feel stuck and want to quit.

I know those snags can be frustrating and make you want to give up. Maybe you already have. But you set that goal for a reason. Remember your reason, and read on for some steps to get back on track.

Step One: Don’t worry about it. Seriously, that’s the first step. And maybe the hardest. Getting derailed happens to the best of us. I mean, life happens, right? Take a breath and quit beating yourself up. Goals are supposed to be hard. Otherwise we don’t learn from them.

Step Two: Make a list. You gotta pinpoint where it all fell apart. Maybe the problem is the goal was too big and needed some refining. Maybe you didn’t budget enough time in your day. Maybe you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin. Don’t discount your feelings when making this list. Feeling ‘stuck’ or ‘overwhelmed’ are red flags that there’s a problem. So get out a pen and a piece of paper and start writing.

Step Three: Find workarounds. Now that you have a list of roadblocks, you can start working around them. Can you wake up a few minutes earlier in the morning? Can you set some mini goals that lead up to your big goal? Can you enlist some help from a friend? If the goal is really important to you, believe you’ll find a work around.

Step Four: Start again. We all fail sometimes. Get up, dust off and try again. And again. And again. Use as many ‘agains’ as you need until you achieve your goal.

Here’s the thing about goals: you can set them any time. You don’t have to wait until next January. All you need is some determination and a Monday.

If that goal is important to you, then don’t wait. Start now. Or, as the case may be, start over now. But this time, begin again with the knowledge that you won’t be able to solve problems for life. And the next time things fall apart (and they will), you’ll know how to find a way forward.

Xoxo,

Meghan

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